A toothbrush is used to clean teeth by removing plaque and debris from tooth surfaces, the gums, the interproximal areas between adjoining teeth, and the marginal areas between the teeth and gums. Toothbrushes have been provided with a myriad of cleaning elements and profiles in an effort to provide comfort and enhanced cleaning. For example, toothbrushes with bristle tufts presenting a contoured profile have long been provided for more effective cleaning of the teeth and gums. Additionally, tapered bristles have been used for increased comfort and better cleaning of the interproximal areas.
However, the combined beneficial effect of tapered bristles and a contoured profile has not been realized. Typically, bristles are fixed into the head of a toothbrush and then trimmed to obtain the desired profile. This conventional process of trimming the bristles has hindered the adoption of tapered bristles into toothbrushes; i.e., tapered bristles have heretofore been limited to flat profiles to avoid trimming off of the tapered ends.
Further, the conventional manufacturing process for toothbrushes requires multiple steps to obtain a contoured profile, including the fixing of bristles into the head and one or more steps of trimming and endrounding of the fixed bristles.